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Al Bahr towers' super-sized sunshades

This article was taken from the June 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content bysubscribing online.

Mashrabiya is the Arabic term for a traditional latticed sunshade. But for the Al Bahr towers in Abu Dhabi, global architecture firm Aedas have created a super-size version fit for a skyscraper.

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Each of the 25-storey towers, due to open in July, are clad in a secondary skin made up of 1,000 Teflon-coated fibreglass mesh parasols secured by an aluminium frame. As the Sun passes, the parasols open and close, controlled by a master central computer.

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Abu Dhabi's sunny weather is fairly predictable, but if a dust storm arises an anemometer will detect increased wind speeds and override the system.

The towers will require less tinted glass than its neighbours, meaning less internal lighting and less energy use. Who said old-fashioned methods aren't efficient?